57 YEARS AGO IN IDPH HISTORY

A group of city officials met on Feb. 23, 1945, to consider adding sodium
fluoride to Evanstons public water supply to prevent dental caries,
particularly in children. The decision was to begin fluoridation of the public
water supply on an experimental basis. A month later, the Department agreed to
subsidize the project.

Fluoridation of the water supply, which has been shown to reduce dental
caries in children by almost two-thirds, began in Evanston in 1947. It was
preceded by a survey of prevailing dental conditions among children in Evanston
and nearby Oak Park. Periodic follow- up surveys done during the experimental
period revealed a substantial reduction in carious teeth compared with
conditions that existed prior to fluoridation in Evanston and Oak Park, where
the water supply was free of fluorine.

On Aug. 8, 1951, the Department adopted a policy favoring fluoridation and
launched an aggressive program to promote its use by all public water supply
systems in Illinois. In December of that year, Chester, in Randolph County,
became the second Illinois community to fluoridate its water supply. During
1952, other communities followed: Beckemeyer, Carbondale, Carlyle, Casey, De
Soto, Northfield, Orion, Park Forest, Waukegan and Winnetka.

Strong and sometimes bitter opposition to fluoridating public water supplies
developed in many communities and the proposition was defeated in several local
referenda. Despite a well organized effort by opponents of fluoridation,
however, 148 municipalities (including Chicago), representing nearly 5.3
million people, had begun to treat their public water supplies by the end of
1962.

Mandatory fluoridation of all Illinois public water supplies was first
considered in February 1966, during a meeting in Chicago on dental health
education. Several months later  on Aug. 4, 1966  representatives
from the Illinois Department of Public Health and from the Illinois State
Dental Society met to consider plans for adopting such a program.

Legislation mandating the fluoridation of all public water supplies in the
state was passed in 1967 and signed into law July 18 of that year. The law gave
communities one year in which to submit plans and to begin actual fluoridation.
Approximately 6 million Illinois residents were already drinking water with
natural or added fluoride prior to the July 1, 1968, deadline.

Community water fluoridation is still the most equitable and cost effective
public health measure to protect teeth from decay and to improve oral health
for both children and adults. Studies have shown that, for every dollar
invested in fluoridation, as much as $38 is saved in dental treatment costs.

Fluoride is found naturally in water but, in many communities, the amount of
the mineral is too low and does not meet the required standards. When this
occurs, fluoride must be added to the water to provide optimal oral health
benefits to the community. Of the 1,804 water supply systems in Illinois, 860
add fluoride to their water. The average cost to fluoridate a community water
supply is about 50 cents per person per year.

The Department, along with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency,
annually recognize water systems for maintaining the state mandated fluoride
level in drinking water. Illinois maintains required fluoride levels for 93
percent of those residents served by its public water systems. The current
national average is 66 percent.